Last Monday was a particularly good day for Shelly Sorenson. From her usual perch on the bricks at Pioneer Courthouse Square, she watched as the season's miserable weather slowly turned to a near-perfect autumn day. Temperatures crept toward 70 degrees, the sun came out and so did customers at Sorenson's 20-year-old food cart, Shelly's Garden.

"A great day," Sorenson said. "I think I could hear a great sigh of relief from all of the food vendors in the city."

Shelly's Garden -- you probably know it better as Honkin' Huge Burritos -- is most likely Portland's oldest continuously owned food cart and counts several generations of downtown lunchers among its regulars. Sorenson, who once watched over a fleet of 10 burrito carts, is now back down to just one, the original, which has sat on the square's bricks since the early 1990s, in its way as much a Portland landmark as Seward Johnson's umbrella man statue, "Allow Me." Reached by phone after work that afternoon, Sorenson reflected on the massive changes in the city's food cart scene, gave advice to prospective cart owners and talked about the city naming a day after her cart. Her answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

How did you first get into running a food cart?

I had a degree in Radio, TV and Film from the University of Oregon and I had moved to Hollywood but I wasn't crazy about it. I was walking around in Jackson Square in New Orleans one day and I was thinking, "I want to move back to Oregon; what can I do?" I looked up and -- there were no food carts -- but there were artisans, horse-drawn buggies and people dancing for change. And it hit me. I was going to take this character and bring it back to Portland. Back then, there was really only one other food cart.

What was the other one called?

It was called El Sol, and it was doing burritos too. It was right by the courthouse, and there was one by Fifth and Stark. They were like telephone booths that you might step into, tiny little things. And of course Saturday Market was going, so there were food vendors in the city, and before that there was Judy's Hot Dogs in the 1970s and early '80s ...

What was your original concept?

I had the idea of doing some fresh salads but that didn't last very long. I tried doing a veggie stir fry, but I couldn't do it fast enough. The first day I tried the burrito was my most successful day yet. I had a turquoise, black and white rockabilly cart and I converted it to the signage and colors I have now. They were called Honkin' Huge Burritos from the first day.

What changes have you seen to the food cart scene over the past 20 years?

The game has really changed from carts to trailers, but the one thing that has remained consistent is hardworking people with a vision of being community oriented. I'm also one of the longest-running vegan places downtown. When I started, that wasn't even a known term. Now, even if you're not a vegan or vegetarian you know what veganism is and you wouldn't be opposed to eating a vegan meal.

In it's own way, Shelly's Garden Honkin' Huge Burritos has become as much of a Pioneer Courthouse Square landmark as Seward Johnson's "Allow Me" statue.Faith Cathcart/The Oregonian

Do you have any advice for people getting into the food cart game today?

I tell them the only failure would be in not trying. Even with 500 carts, there's a lot of people who need lunch. And you don't need very many people a day to make a living. Get yourself a vision. Don't do a formal business plan, but work it up so it makes sense to you. Flash it around to whoever will listen to you. And then try it. Don't pour huge buckets of money into the thing. But try the smallest scale. What other business can you start for $3,000 to $4,000?

Most cart owners put the number higher, at $20,000 and up ...

That's because we're talking about trailers. You can have a beautiful little cart made for $2,500 that will sell for about the same price when you're done with it.

I'd guess that, for many Portlanders, the Honkin' Huge is their model burrito. Do you ever hear that?

Every once in a while. It's a Portland thing. People will say to stop by when you're in town and have a burrito. I love being that ambassador.

The city of Portland named your 20th anniversary on July 18 "Honkin' Huge Burritos Day." What did that mean to you?

Oh, my God, how amazing. It was such a beautiful day. I was moved. I got to bring my lovely daughters (to City Hall for the presentation). And just to receive that accolade was very sweet to my heart.